Sympathy by Paul Dunbar

What is the speaker describing in Stanza 1? What is the central idea of the stanza?

• the outside world the bird rarely experiences.

• the outside world the bird is kept from.

• the memories from when the bird was free.

• the things that the bird loves about life.

In "Sympathy" why does the bird beat its wings? What is the central idea of Stanza 2?

• because it enjoys flying around the cage

• because it is unsure whether or not to leave the cage

• because it doesn’t understand that it is trapped

• because it wants to escape the cage

Which of the following describes the bird’s final situation? What is the central idea of Stanza 3?

• The bird sings because it wants to remain positive.

• The bird sings to entertain those around it.

• The bird’s song is actually a cry for help.

• The bird sings in celebration because it knows how to escape

Part A: Which of the following identifies the central theme of the poem?

• Freedom can be achieved as long as you fight hard enough for it.

• No one can live a full or happy life if they are denied freedom.

• Birds specifically cannot be denied freedom due to their need to fly.

• With enough time, any person will lose the pull they feel towards freedom.

Part B: Which section from the text best supports the answer to Part A?

• “When the first bird sings and the first bud opes, / And the faint perfume from its chalice steals — ” (Lines 5-6)

• “For he must fly back to his perch and cling / When he fain would be on the bough a-swing” (Lines 10-11)

• “When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore, — / When he beats his bars and he would be free" (Lines 16-17)

• “It is not a carol of joy or glee, / But a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core, / But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings — ” (Lines 18-20)

Who wrote the poem, "Sympathy?"

• Robert Frost

• my teacher

• Paul Laurence Dunbar

How many stanzas are in the poem?

• 21

• 14

• 3